Name: Cashew Chicken
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Ingredients: ¾ cup roasted, unsalted cashews; ¼ cup water; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1½-inch pieces; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 6 medium garlic cloves, minced; 8 scallions (1 bunch), white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; ¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Cashew Chicken

By Jennifer Segal

Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living

This better-than-takeout cashew chicken comes together in 30 minutes with simple ingredients and big flavor.

Servings: 4

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup roasted, unsalted cashews
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions (1 bunch), white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside; they will crisp up as they cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Set aside.
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken to the skillet and stir-fry until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; then add the remaining chicken, garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the rice vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Add the sauce mixture to the chicken; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is nicely thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (4 servings)
Serving size: about 1 1/4 cups each
Calories: 464
Fat: 24 g
Saturated fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Sugar: 7 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 45 g
Sodium: 855 mg
Cholesterol: 125 mg

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.